


A Moment Apart

by WriteAway (Headphone_Love)



Series: SKAM Inspired Tyrus [2]
Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, Amber is a Kippen Cousin, Cyrus Goodman Needs a Hug, Endgame Cyrus Goodman/T. J. Kippen, F/M, First Love, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Let T. J. Kippen Swear, M/M, SKAM inspired, Sad Cyrus Goodman, T. J. Kippen Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-25 06:02:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20371879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Headphone_Love/pseuds/WriteAway
Summary: T.J. feels alone.Sometimes Cyrus does too.----“T.J.”The boy smiled wider, nodding. T.J. slowly came to a stop on his swing, watching as the other let out a slow breath and looked at him from the corner of his eye.T.J. held his breath as the stranger spoke.“Cyrus.”





	1. Summer/Autumn

**Author's Note:**

> Another Alternative Universe AU where Cyrus and T. J. didn’t meet until the summer before freshman year of high school. This is indeed a chapter fic, so I hope you all will enjoy the ride.  
Inspired by Skam’s concept of alternate universes with the same people in different situations.  
Might make this a series where I just make these precious people meet each other over and over and over. *hint hint wink wink*  
If you guys, gals, and nonbinary pals would be interested in that, lemme know :)  
~WA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> T.J. parted his lips, mind scrambling to come up with a reply. “How did you…what makes you think I did it out of caring and not something selfish?”
> 
> “Because you’re T.J,” Cyrus said easily. 

T.J. wasn’t sure how he got to the park of all places. 

All he remembered was fighting with his old man who kept screaming at him and his mother trying to calm him down_ — _

He had booked it out of the house without looking back. He hadn’t even bothered to put his shoes on, socks damp with dew as he wandered aimlessly. A part of him wishes he hadn’t been so hasty and had at least managed to slip the shoes in his hand on before running out. Still, having them was better than having no option other than damp socks. 

With a bright side to a dark situation, he did his best to just breathe and avoid all emotions other than his anger. His anger, he felt, was justified. He had a few choice words for his father but instead wrapped his arms around his body as his attention changed to the current weather. It was early and a bit humid out as were most summer days lately. Apparently, a storm was coming and with how heavy the air felt, T.J. believed it without a doubt. 

T.J. wasn’t sure what he expected when he had left his house at the butt crack of dawn. His mind had wandered to his job which always opened early, but explaining what happened and why he looked so disgusting would be one of the most unprofessional things he could do. The Spoon was closed for the day since the staff had some kind of training for new seasonal foods that his cousin no doubt will do her best to avoid making. 

A weak chuckle at the thought made T.J. smile. That’s when it clicked that his cousin’s house was probably the best place to go once he was over his walk, though explaining to his uncle why he was there would definitely cause friction between family members. 

The sound of creaking caught his attention, T.J. looking around to see someone swinging quietly. The closer he got, the more he noticed: like how the person’s eyes were closed, and how he seemed to be singing to himself in a barely audible tone. T.J. wasn’t great at picking out how someone was feeling, but he could tell for sure this person wasn’t happy. 

They swung lazily, not aiming for height like T.J. often did. They just…let gravity do most of the work and seemed content with it. 

Without thinking, he walked towards the stranger, grabbing the swing beside them and rattling it gently to gain the person’s attention. The boy jumped, turning in his direction with wide eyes. It was odd making eye contact with a stranger when he couldn’t even do that with his own parents, but it wasn’t as awful as he’d thought it would be. Still, a shock moved through him as well to the point that English suddenly felt a lot harder to use. He parted his lips to speak, but he could feel that the lump in his throat hadn’t subsided from earlier, and so instead he pressed his lips together in a thin line and turned to leave. He was stupid thinking a stranger would want to talk to him of all people. The sound of the swings rattling caught his attention, T.J. looking over to see the stranger was standing now. 

A slight smile formed on the other’s lips.

Then he nodded his head towards the swing in a way that said ‘you look like you need it’. 

And boy was the stranger right about that. 

T.J. swung beside the stranger for what felt like hours, letting the wind hit his face and kicking himself off the ground to get higher and higher until he was practically close to going over the bar itself. After swinging out his emotions and finding himself smiling for once in a very long time, he looked down to see the stranger smiling softly at him, cheek rested against the chain of the swing and eyes squinted just barely due to said smile. 

Numbers had always been more T.J.’s issue, but for the first time in his life, he had nothing to say that fit the situation he was currently in. 

“T.J.” 

The boy smiled wider, nodding. T.J. slowly came to a stop on his swing, watching as the other let out a slow breath and looked at him from the corner of his eye. T.J. held his breath as the stranger spoke.

“Cyrus.”

T.J. perked up, a smile nearly splitting his face in half. “Cyrus,” he repeated carefully.

_ Cyrus _ offered a small laugh at the echo. 

“T.J.”

* * *

Apparently, Cyrus wasn’t much of a talker. A part of T.J. would have never guessed that since he thought that when Cyrus _ did _ speak, it was hysterical. 

Over the course of a month and some change, hanging out with Cyrus had become commonplace. 

The swings were their castle and despite no moat or alligators, no one ever did bother them here. 

“You didn’t,” T.J. whispered from his place beside Cyrus, said teen turning red in the face and pouting a bit to show his discomfort. T.J. had asked about why he didn’t eat in the cafeteria anymore, and the fellow student hadn’t failed in providing the most horrifyingly laughable story of how he had run into an upperclassman the first day and spilled mystery meat all over her. Shockingly, Cyrus admitted she hadn’t made a big deal out of it and even tried to calm him down, but he was too embarrassed on her behalf to even step back into the place until the news died down and was replaced with some other kind of drama. 

“I never would have thought you were mystery meat boy,” T.J. said in awe, Cyrus chucking a baby carrot at him while he munched on the final snacks from his lunch. They had opted to eat at the park since it wasn’t too far off from the school. 

“I’m just relieved they let us go out of the building for lunch,” Cyrus said quietly, cheeks puffed out while he chewed. 

This was how their lunches had been for the last few weeks, though T.J. preferred this over being with his own team at times. He loved his team, obviously, but he also knew that most of them were just that: teammates. 

Cyrus was…well, Cyrus. 

T.J’s first official friend. With this in mind, he frowned, continuing to watch Cyrus while the fellow student moved back and forth slowly using his legs to guide the swing. He seemed lost in thought while he chewed, T.J. clearing his throat to get his attention.

“You mentioned once that you have other friends. So why not eat with them? I’m sure they wouldn’t care if you became the meat boy.” 

Cyrus shifted, turning so he was sitting on the swing with one leg on either side. He was facing T.J. now, a conflicted expression on his face. 

“Buffy got a boyfriend. Andi left. Jonah met new people. Upperclassmen,” Cyrus whispered, hunched into himself. “But I’m happy for them and wouldn’t want to get in the way of all they have.”

A bit of discomfort hit T.J. in the chest at that confession. He could recall the Buffy chick from basketball practice before she had gone and made her own team. They hadn’t spoke much because of how badly they clashed, but he had to admit she had major game. He’d supported the girl’s team but never had closure with her because at that time she hadn’t mattered much to him at all. 

All she was was an annoyingly stubborn girl that couldn’t take the hint. 

As for not wanting to get in the way…T.J. knew that feeling all too well. That didn’t mean that Cyrus’s friends were off the hook for not deciding to reach out to him. 

“They still your friends?” 

Cyrus nodded immediately, eyes still glued to the ground. “They’ll always be my friends. _ Best _.” 

T.J. wasn’t sure why the words made him feel so conflicted, looking around as is searching for something. “Then where are they? Are their cellphones or fingers broken?” 

Seeing how Cyrus tensed, T.J. knew he had said the wrong thing for sure. Cyrus parted and closed his lips as if attempting to come up with some type of excuse on their behalf, but instead he stood abruptly. 

“We should get back.”

Standing up, T.J. shook his head. “That came out wrong. I didn’t mea—”

But Cyrus had already shoved his stuff into his bag and began the trek back to the school, lips pressed into a thin line. Following without another word, T.J. pretended not to notice the few stray tears that slipped down Cyrus’s face. He pretended that it didn’t bother him and that the sniffling from Cyrus was due to the weather getting cooler. 

T.J. was the best at pretending. 

* * *

“I messed up.”

Amber looked up at him in confusion, raising a brow. “What’s new?” she asked sarcastically, T.J. staring her down until her demeanor changed entirely. “Oh. You’re serious. Alright then, spill,” she corrected, sitting down and crossing her arms. 

Not knowing where to start, T.J. opted to do so from the beginning and just spill everything from how he met Cyrus to their lunchtime confrontation the week before. T.J. had attempted to fix what he’d done but Cyrus was great at hiding. He supposed it wasn’t that hard for someone who hardly speaks to go unnoticed by most of their peers. 

“That was…wow. You…_ wow _.”

“Words with more than one syllable would be great, thanks,” T.J. grumbled as Amber rolled her eyes and shoved him gently.

“Well, when you go out and tell me a damn near love story between you and a stranger what did you expect to happen? I’m human! I get surprised too!”

“Love story? That wasn’t anywhere near a love story!” 

Amber stood, moving back to her mirror and fixing her hair while she spoke. “Well, when you go into detail like ‘his eyes were so big’ and ‘his smile is adorable you need to see it’ it makes me think you like this guy as more than a friend.” 

“That isn’t the focus right now.”

“But it could be the focus of a future talk?” Amber asked with a tilted head, staring at him through the mirror before turning. “Because you know if you do like guys that no one that matters cares, right? And even if someone did care, that’s a them problem without a doubt,” she added with a slight hair flip. 

Snorting, T.J. crossed his arms. “Considering how open and out you are they might be expecting it from me any day now,” he joked. “Though my dad sure as hell didn’t like it when I mentioned not being sure what I was.”

Amber snorted this time, pointing at him with a freshly done nail. “Yeah well you’re dad is one of the biggest tools I’ve met. And my dad agrees, which never happens.”

“Well, they’re brothers so if anyone would know…” T.J. reminded as Amber smiled a bit and turned back to her reflection. 

“Alright, alright. Crush aside…I don’t think you messed up at all, really. If his friends are real friends, they should be able to reach out to him too. If there is anything I’ve learned from everything that has happened…friendship is a two-way street. If one person wants out it’ll be obvious.”

“But what should I do right now? He’s avoiding me, Amb. I feel like I hit a sensitive topic because I got weirdly upset for no reason.”

Humming thoughtfully, Amber finished up her mascara and placed it down on her dresser. She turned to look at him in a way that showed he must have missed something. “You know, you are like a little brother to me. But so _ dense _.”

“Is this just you insulting me or is there a point to all of this?” T.J. asked as Amber raised her hands to remind him to be patient.

“What’s the point of being straightforward if you aren’t listening?” 

“I am listening!” 

“You’re hearing me talk but not listening to the words I’m saying,” Amber scolded. ‘You’re always ‘what can I do’ or ‘what did I do’ instead of trying to understand why the other person is doing what they are. Sometimes you can’t do anything and the other person has the ball in their court as you’d say. So for now, you gotta wait and slow your roll. Let Cyrus process things too. Who knows, maybe you talked some sense into him by accident.”

Frowning, T.J. leaned back to process the advice. He knew he was an impulsive person, but he hadn’t ever realized that him continuing to try and do something would have been an issue. He thought that was just the drive-in him but maybe learning to back off would do him some good. 

Kinda like what Cyrus did for his friends. 

“Shit,” T.J. murmured. “I think I listened this time.”

Amber smacked him on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow. “I sure hope so because I don’t even talk that much in school and Bambi sits right next to me. My words should be saved for her so she falls in love with me.”

“Bambi? Another nickname?” T.J. teased, standing as he followed her out of her room and down the stairs. “What do you have one for every day of the week, now?” 

Looking insulted, Amber huffed and shook her head. “Absolutely not!” 

A pause and a look of disbelief from T.J. Amber shifted, avoiding his eyes and shrugging.

“I don’t have one for Saturday or Sunday yet,” she defended, voice getting quieter as she walked towards the living room with a clear of her throat. “Dad, you ready for dinner??” 

T.J. followed with a smirk, shaking his head. 

His cousin was so whipped. 

* * *

Sitting at the swings was Cyrus, similar to how he looked when they first met with the exception of what looked to be a new haircut. He was bundled up a lot more than T.J. was, but then again if there was one thing he knew about Cyrus it was that he got sick faster than someone could even _ think _ of the word ‘germs’. 

“Hey.”

Cyrus halted to a stop, turning and staring at him like a deer in the headlights. T.J. did his best to smile, Cyrus swallowing hard and nodding in greeting. Walking up to his swing, T.J. stood beside it and kicked at nonexistent dust. 

“You came.”

He hadn’t expected Cyrus to speak first, but the words that slipped out of his mouth were too natural, even to him.

“Of course I came.”

At that, Cyrus smiled, biting into his lower lip and looking a bit rosy in the cheeks. He nodded to the swing which T.J. gladly took, though this time he swung just as lazily as Cyrus did. A few minutes later, they both turned and said: 

“I’m sorry.”

T.J. blinked at him for a moment, as if he wasn’t sure where to go with the conversation. He’d fully expected to take all the blame and for Cyrus to accept it…not apologize back. 

Cyrus let out an airy laugh that had T. J’s stomach doing a somersault. “Why on Earth are you sorry?” he asked with a tilt of his head. “You told me the truth and yeah…your delivery could have been better but I know you meant well.”

T.J. parted his lips, mind scrambling to come up with a reply. “How did you…what makes you think I did it out of caring and not something selfish?”

“Because you’re T.J,” Cyrus said easily. 

Shaking his head, T.J. let out a deep breath. “You’re really something, you know that?” he whispered with a smile. “But even if you’re a saint and trust me for some reason, what I said was pretty rude. It wasn’t my place to talk about your friends.”

“But your advice helped. A lot, actually,” Cyrus said sounding so relieved that T.J. felt like he’d entered the twilight zone. 

He’d helped someone? 

By not thinking?

“Come again?” T.J. started as he leaned in, believing he had heard wrong.

Cyrus let out a snicker, shoulders shaking and hands wrapped firmly around the chains of his swing. “I reached out to them. I asked why we never talk anymore if we’re friends. I always expected that if they needed me they’d come to me and when they didn’t I guess my brain took that as them not needing _ or _ wanting me. When I asked them if we could hang out…”

T.J. could see that Cyrus was a bit choked up. This time, however, he was smiling so wide T.J. wondered if his cheeks ached. 

“They all ended up coming to my house way past my curfew because they said it sounded like I needed them,” Cyrus admitted.“And so at one in the morning we all just…talked. Buffy is doing great with Marty, Andi is doing great at SAVA and talked about a crush, and Jonah found out he made some band after an audition and can officially start playing gigs. And well, I talked about you, maybe. Buffy isn’t thrilled.”

“Wow, that's really great,” T.J said sincerely as Cyrus nodded, continuing to list things excitedly. 

Cyrus was obviously hysterical and awkward in certain situations, but he was also a lot more energetic when the topic was something he felt comfortable with. All this time he thought Cyrus liked the silence but now he wondered whether that was ever true at all. 

“Ah…I’m rambling,” Cyrus said with a slight tint on his cheeks. “Sorry.”

“No, no, keep going. I’m listening,” T.J. promised, Cyrus chewing on his lower lip again. 

“You sure?” 

“About as sure as I am bad at Math.”

Cyrus stared at him for a moment and T.J. cursed his odd sense of humor until Cyrus snorted, both hands coming up to his face to cover his mouth. “_ Really _, Teej? Math jokes again?” 

Parting his lips to respond, T.J. decided to just let this one go because of how relaxed Cyrus looked. That, and his mind sort of shut down at the fact that Cyrus had given him a nickname. A real one: not something that implied he was scary to look at or rude to anyone that looked his way.

_ Teej _.

All of a sudden, T.J could feel how his cheeks heat and dried his hands against the top of his jeans.

_ But it could be the focus of a future talk? _

While Cyrus attempted to catch his breath and T.J. processed what he was experiencing, he inwardly knew without needing to say it to anyone. 

“Everything okay?” 

Nodding, T.J. reached out his hand to gently tap Cyrus on the back of his shoulder in reassurance. “Yeah, but I bet you can’t swing higher than me!” he said as he began to swing.

Cyrus made a face and pointed at him. “That’s a bet you’d win easily.”

“Oh c’mon, get up here!” 

“No way! This is part of a huge list of things I can’t do. If you can’t do Math, I can’t swing higher without nearly falling off and breaking my pinky.”

The new information about this apparent list was enough to spur T.J. even more towards wanting to know this stranger he met in the park during summer vacation. Jumping off the swing, he walked around so he was behind Cyrus, eyes flickering mischievously.

“Well, guess you better hold on _ extra _ tight!”

“Don’t you d—”

And then T.J. was pushing with all his might while Cyrus let out what sounded like a mix between a scream and a laugh.

“I’ll get you for that, Kippen!” Cyrus swore as T.J. pouted, tilting his head. 

“Hmm. Then I might as well give you another push. Underdog!” 

Cyrus’s scream was even funnier the second time around.


	2. Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> T.J. learns that with gain comes some loss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This became longer than I thought it would oh no but oh yes

Cyrus was texting him. 

T.J. had been attempted to study for his math test but it was hard when _ Cyrus was texting him _. 

The logical part of T.J. knew that he had already told Cyrus he would be studying, so answering later wouldn’t hurt him. The other part of him, however, had decided that instead of studying, whenever there was a message grabbing the phone and responding made the most sense. 

It was why T.J. meant it when he said attempting. 

When his phone went off, he grabbed it to the point of nearly shoving everything else on the table off. He stared at it for a moment, letting out a breath of disbelief at how he’d automatically done it again.

“I’ll just text him real quick and then for sure I’ll put it on silent,” T.J. bargained under his breath, fingers tapping away.

“Is that Thelonius Jagger using a cellphone? Alert the press.”

T.J. looked up from his phone to see Amber staring at him from across the dining table, a smile on her lips. When the smile settled into an expectant look, she quirked a brow and cleared her throat. 

Looking around, T.J. raised his brows to show he didn’t understand. “What?” 

Giving up, Amber sat down in the chair in front of her. “Don’t ‘_ what _’ me. How are things with Cyrus? Did you ask him out yet?” 

Ever since T.J. had asked her for advice months before, she’d been on him about whether he’d confessed or not. At first, she’d been subtle and just wanted him to get closer to Cyrus for the sake of him having someone he could trust. It was only after T.J. had begun to reap some benefits of the friendship that it clicked for her that Cyrus was good for him in a different sense. 

How did T.J. know she felt this way? 

“Seriously, you need to get a move on before someone else realizes how amazing he is!” 

Because Amber didn’t hold anything back when she thought highly or lowly of a person. Thankfully, Cyrus was the former of the two options.

Usually, T.J. would have been all for telling Cyrus eventually. He was never the type to get nervous about crushes, but right now there was just too much happening—from moving in with his uncle for the time being to needing to buy a new phone because his father hadn’t taken well to that news. 

Bringing Cyrus into his messy situation would be selfish.

“No, I haven’t, why?” T.J. replied casually, actually looking at his textbook now that Amber was around. 

Even math was better than having this conversation again.

“Why not?” Amber groaned. “You obviously have the hots for him and no offense, I’ve seen him. He won’t be single long with that puppy dog pout of his. Us girls love that innocence.”

“Aren’t you in love with some girl from your school? What would you know what girls look for in guys?”

Amber frowned, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in her chair. “What, you get annoyed and suddenly forget bisexuals exist?” she accused, T.J. sucking in a breath.

“Sorry. Still relearning."

Waving it off, Amber sighed and shook her head. “Girls _and_ guys alike adore cute people. Especially when those people are, as you call it, ‘saints’. Soon you’ll have some competition, little cousin. Love is war and you are…_ unprepared _.”

“And you are_ …undeniably _weird,” T.J. replied, grabbing his pencil and writing down the next problem in his notebook. “I don’t even know if he wants a relationship right now. Besides, you think I want my dad finding out about him? What do you think my dad would do if he got anywhere near Cyrus?”

Amber deflated, not seeming to have thought that far. “Doesn’t he have four parents? I’m positive nothing your dad does would be able to reach him.”

T.J. stared her down, placing the pencil in the middle of his book and pushing his sleeves up. He laid his arms out in front of him, eyeing her carefully. “You see this?”

Looking at his bare arms, she squinted, trying to see anything other than skin. 

“I don’t see anything other than birthmarks and your arm hair.”

“Exactly,” T.J. said, pushing his sleeves back down. “My dad doesn’t get to people by hitting them. He gets to them with what he says and how he says it. Then he pretends they're the one that was being dramatic.”

He avoided her eyes, not wanting the sympathy right now and finding that his mood had soured. It was obvious he and his dad would never be on great terms again—whether they ever were still lingering in T.J's mind. It made the anger resurface faster than T.J. expected, standing and attempting to swallow the lump in his throat. 

“Thank you for being there for me, but just leave Cyrus out of this, Amb.”

Amber parted her lips to speak but when T.J. didn't hear anything, he figured she decided against it. He packed up and took his things to his room with a nod towards Amber. It was for the first time since he’d moved in with his uncle that he was sure no one would be barging in on him any time soon.

Plopping back on his bed, he shut his eyes and tried to take a nap. He was nearly there until his cell phone went off beside him—of course he didn’t silence it the one time he should have—T.J. a lot slower to the draw as he reached out for it.

It was Cyrus, obviously, and he was asking if it was alright to talk. With a shaky exhale, T.J. lifted the phone to his ear without a second thought and listened to the phone ring. 

_ “Y’ello. Sorry for the short notice on the call thing. I know you said you were studying.” _

A weak smile reached T.J.’s lips. 

“I was, but I’m done for now. Not feeling it.”

There was a bit of silence on the line before Cyrus spoke again.

_ “…The swings?” _

T.J. pushed some air from his nose. “You’re a scary guy, Underdog.”

He could almost feel the smile in Cyrus’s tone at the next response. 

_ “I’m coming for your brand, Kippen. I’ll meet you in 20?” _

“Yeah. Thanks.”

_ “Just don’t be late or I might actually get a head start this time.” _

A genuine laugh escaped as T.J. sat up and rustled his hair to wake up more. 

“Get the biggest head start you want. At least I can somersault.”

A mock gasp of horror from the other line followed by stifled laughter. 

_ “Low blow…” _

* * *

“Buffy wants to meet you.”

T.J. squinted, closing his locker slowly so he could stare at Cyrus, who was leaning against the one beside it. The entire day had gone by much faster than any other this week, mainly because after his test he was dead on his feet. It only lightened when Cyrus shared his muffin with him at lunch, T.J. learning he had a preference for chocolate-chocolate chip muffins. 

“Come again?” T.J. asked as Cyrus rolled his eyes at the tone. 

“I’ve been telling her about you and how awesome you are,” Cyrus admitted. “I know that you said you didn’t care about making amends with her but I think it’d be good for you both. That way she knows it wasn’t anything she did and you know you aren’t a bad person for making a mistake.”

Old T.J. would have been upset at what Cyrus was saying. He would have snapped at him and slammed his locker shut without a thought of how it made him feel. New T.J., or the real T.J. according to Cyrus, instead could see how hopeful Cyrus was about it and that it wasn’t coming from a place of trying to embarrass T.J. He could tell through his body language alone that Cyrus was tense despite his attempt at casual. 

A deep sigh left T.J’s lips. He hung his head, _ really _ not wanting to, but also not wanting Cyrus to be ping-ponging between them both. “I’ll tell you what, Underdog,” he. started, Cyrus leaning in and nodding. “I’ll…think about it. Just because if we’re meeting I’m assuming she’d want an apology?”

Cyrus smiled sheepishly. “I was hoping you’d know that since I wasn’t sure how to bring it up.”

Wrapping an arm around Cyrus, he held out his free hand. “I’ll meet her on _ my _terms. I think I still have her number but right now there is a lot going on."

Humming in understanding, Cyrus reached out to shake on the agreement. “The fact that you are agreeing at all is great, Teej.”

“I’m not doing it for her!” T.J. added quickly, shaking Cyrus’s hand. “I’m doing it for…” he trailed off, the same feeling of butterflies from months before attacking his gut. 

“For…?” Cyrus echoed, still holding T.J.’s hand carefully. 

T.J. tried to think of a save, but instead just blurted out the first thought that came to his mind. 

“Us.”

Cyrus didn’t pull away or make a big deal about it. Instead, he tilted his head and smiled to the point that his eyes looking like they were too. 

“That sounds like a great reason to me.”

Letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, T.J. smiled too. “Yeah?”

Cyrus nodded instantly, squeezing his hand before pulling it away and looking at the watch on his wrist. “I gotta go. Text me after you leave practice?” 

“I’ll text you if you come with me to The Spoon after. I've always starved after.”

“It’s a—”

“T.J. you coming?!” 

T.J never wanted to hurt someone more than that moment, turning to see his teammates staring at him. He was sure he knew what Cyrus was going to say, but now he'd never hear it.

He removed his arm from around Cyrus, nodding and waving a hand in the air. “Go on without me, I’ll catch up.”

“You got it, but don’t blame us if you run laps!” 

The group laughed amongst themselves, others shivering at the thought that made it obvious they’d experienced the wrath of it first hand. 

When they were gone, Cyrus was rocking back and forth on his feet. “Guess you should on your way, not-so-scary basketball guy.”

Pushing air from his nose, he leaned down to grab his duffle and nodded. “I’ll text you.”

“I’ll answer.”

Rolling his eyes, T.J. spun Cyrus around and gently pushed him. “Go before we both get in trouble.”

Cyrus grinned and waved, walking down the hall while T.J. watched, letting out a deep sigh once Cyrus was out of sight. 

“You’re so whipped.”

T.J. turned to see the senior captain, Andrew, standing at the end of the hall with a raised brow. He froze, parting his lips only for the other to wave him over. Not sure how to take the other’s reaction, he walked over while tightening the grip on his duffle's strap.

Andrew leaned in, T.J. preparing himself for the worst. “It’s alright if you like him. Me and my _ boyfriend _ , Ty, don’t judge,” he assured, backing away and snorting at T.J's frozen form. “What? Don’t look so surprised. This is a big high school. You aren’t the only person figuring stuff out and falling in _ love~” _

T.J. turned red in the face and huffed. “Not you too man, I get that enough from my sister.”

With a slap on the back, Andrew wrapped an arm around T.J and proceeded toward the gym. “Don’t worry, I’ll only do it all the time,” he assured with a smirk, T.J. nudging him with his elbow. 

“Yeah? Well, I’ll find out who Ty is and tell him you’re bullying a freshman.”

“Go for it,” Andrew said smugly. “He likes to bully them more than I do.”

* * *

“Your mother wants you back home.”

T.J. stirred the spoon in his hot cocoa without looking at the person across from him. “I know. Amber said you asked for my new phone number to tell me.”

T.J’s father poked at his food. He looked up and around, seeing that Amber was still glaring at him and clearing his throat. “Did she also tell you that she cursed me and hung up before I could get another word in?” 

The smirk that threatened to form on T.J’s lips didn’t go unnoticed, most likely, but at least he had the courtesy to hold it in. 

“No, but I would have loved to hear all about it,” T.J. said easily, leaning back and shoving his hands into his pockets. He averted his eyes and looked out the huge glass window they were sitting beside instead. He could see that it was drizzling, the rain clearing out the remainder of snow they’d gotten within the last week.

His mind wandered back to his 'date' with Cyrus after his practice and how it had been going great until the snow hit. Considering that it was a freak storm, neither of them had taken it seriously until he was walking Cyrus home and they were blasted. 

A text from Cyrus later confirmed that he was catching a cold and he wouldnt be able to hang out at the swings that weekend. 

It was why T.J. was at The Spoon with his old man right now instead of at home sleeping the morning away. Without having much to do he figured there wasn't a real way out of the talk.

Still, even if Cyrus wasn't here, T.J. had thought more about him then the man sitting across from him. He wondered if bringing soup over would be alright or not. 

“Look, I…shouldn’t have yelled at you.” 

The same line he'd heard over and over. This time he had an answer for it.

“You shouldn’t have done a lot of things,” T.J. corrected, shifted his gaze so it landed directly on his father. “Saying you shouldn’t have done it doesn’t make it magically better.”

“How has the season been?” 

Gritting his teeth, T.J. pushed some air from his nose. “You can’t avoid the fact that what I told you is true.”

“And you just can’t seem to let things go at all, it seems."

T.J. pressed his lips into a line. "And you can't take responsibility for anything you say even though you're supposed to be the parent."

His father's face grew red at that, words slipping out almost instantly.

"This was a mistake." 

The lump dropped from T.J's throat to the pit of his stomach. 

His father wiped face with his napkin and raised a hand for the bill. Amber was watching him and scrubbing the tables hard enough to remove the paint from them.

She waltzed over, hip jutting out and eyes burning into the elder. 

“Yes?” 

“I’d like the bill.”

“We’d all like things, wouldn’t we?” Amber asked, but handed him his bill nonetheless. She shot T.J. a look that asked if he was alright, and he shook his head and mouthed 'later'. 

He stood, pulling out his wallet and glad that he'd done overtime at the gym to still have some cash on him.

“I’m paying for myself,” T.J. said, handing Amber the money directly. 

“That isn’t necessary,” his father insisted but T.J. cut him off before he could continue. 

“You shouldn’t have to pay for a mistake…right?” T.J. asked, coldly, the man looking uncomfortable at the implication. “Thanks, Amb. I’ll see you at home,” he said quietly, slipping out of the restaurant and lifting his hood over his head.

The exit hadn't been a smart one on his part, T.J. having to stop under various awnings when the rain got too hard. His normal 15-minute walk to the spoon had now already reached 20 with the rain, and he still had about 10 minutes until he was home for good. 

While under a random shop’s cover, an umbrella was held up in front of his face, T.J. turning to see the last person he’d ever expect help from. 

“Driscoll?” 

She offered an obviously forced smile, waving the closed umbrella to remind him to take it. “You’re welcome, Kippen.”

Not sure what twilight zone he’d entered, he took the umbrella and continued to stare until she snapped at him. 

“_ What _? Just because you’re rude doesn’t mean everyone will be rude to you.”

The air was already humid, but he really didn’t need the awkwardness to add any extra weight to his current situation. So instead of responding, he held up the umbrella and bowed his head a bit. He hadn’t really expected to run into her until the day he was prepared to talk to her, but he guessed the universe—as Cyrus constantly said—had a weird way of doing things. 

“Thanks.” 

A look of confusion formed on her face. It changed a few times before she spoke again, groaning under her breath. 

“I’m going to visit Cyrus. He hates being alone when he’s sick and his folks are out. Want to come?” 

T.J blinked. “You’re inviting me somewhere?”

Buffy opened the umbrella up, stepping into the rain and starting to walk. “Just because I did something nice doesn’t mean we need to talk. Come or don’t, I don’t care.”

Quick to follow, T.J. opened up his umbrella and followed behind her easily, not wanting to overstep any boundaries. 

A part of him knew he wasn’t in the right state of mind to even consider having the huge talk with Buffy right now. He figured that being around her wasn’t all that bad though if he could see Cyrus out of it. 

“I’m not trying to be out here all day, Kippen.”

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he worked his way up to walking beside her without a word, keeping his thoughts on the goal here.

He'd prove he could take any comment or attitude Driscoll had, and then she would have to accept that he and Cyrus were friends. 

Maybe the talk wouldn't even be needed if this worked out. 

Hopefully.


	3. I Love You More, Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy tries to be a good friend.  
T.J. gets pushed too far and wonders whether Cyrus would ever really be happy with a person like him.

“T.J? What..._How_?” 

T.J smiled at Cyrus's confusion. Buffy had needed to take a call from Marty and so left him to greet Cyrus first. She hadn’t been happy at the idea but T.J. hadn’t wanted to wait around and then be accused of eavesdropping on her conversation. 

“Hey, Underdog,” T.J. greeted, walking over to sit on the edge of his bed. Cyrus sat up, looking a bit disheveled and pale, but alive. Cyrus wasn’t joking when he said that when he gets sick, it’s usually pretty intense. 

Even then he had this energy in his eyes that made T.J. want to be around him. 

“What are you doing here?”

T.J. pouted, reaching out to ruffle the bed head. “What? Am I not welcome to visit? I even brought you your soup,” he said, raising the bag and placing it on the table beside his bed. Cyrus’s eyes lit up as he made grabby hands at the food, T.J. keeping him sitting.

“Did you take your medicine?” 

Cyrus looked away, head slowly tilting as he parted his lips. All that came out was a harsh bunch of coughs and some gasps for air, T.J. about to panic until Cyrus calmed. He hadn’t ever been super sick himself, maybe a runny nose and a fever. This was definitely next level sickness. 

“‘M fine. Happens at least once every few months in the warm weather and a little more than that in the winter,” Cyrus assured. “And I haven’t been awake long enough to take the medicine so…no. No medicine. But I’ll take it after I eat?” 

Accepting that, he handed the soup over as Cyrus immediately placed it on his lap and opened it up. He was chomping away when Buffy came back, looking brighter than she had earlier. When Cyrus caught sight of her, it was almost like a gear in his head finally started to work, eyes squinting as he looked between the two. He snapped his free hand once he figured it out, pointing a finger at them both. 

“You came together? When—?” 

“I ran into Buffy after going for a walk earlier so she invited me to come to see you,” T.J. answered first, looking over at Buffy who looked equally as confused as Cyrus. 

“Earlier? It’s barely 10 am now,” Buffy pointed out, T.J. avoiding her stare in favor of messing with a thread on Cyrus’s blanket. 

“I like mornings. They’re quiet.”

Snorting, she moved to sit on the other side of the bed and crossed her arms. “You weren’t a morning person when we had morning practice all those years ago.”

“I didn’t like most people, there is a difference,” T.J. mumbled. 

“And now you do?” 

Without meaning to, his gaze shifted to Cyrus who was staring at him with a small smile. He nodded, T.J. humming as if he were thinking. Then, he shut his eyes and let out a laugh that showed he was surprised himself. 

“Yeah. They aren’t so bad sometimes.”

* * *

Having Buffy walk him out after Cyrus fell asleep was weird when he knew she hated his guts.

“He seemed happy to see you,” Buffy said as T.J. nodded, knowing she was either the worst person at small talk or there was something else she was getting at. “And you seemed happy to see him too.”

There it was. 

“Which makes me feel a bit weird that you lied to him and thought I wouldn’t bring it up.”

T.J. raised a brow, leaning against the door. “What exactly did I lie about?” 

“You weren’t going for a walk. You were at The Spoon,” Buffy said matter-of-factly. 

“And? Why couldn’t that be part of my walk?” T.J. reasoned. 

Not biting the bait, Buffy crossed her arms and pursed her lips together. “Seems like a weird thing to lie about if nothing was going on." 

"You trying to prove something or are you just listening to yourself talk?" 

Buffy smiled. "There's the old T.J. Kippen I remember. Hiding true intentions. What, were you on a date you didn't want us to know about?"

T.J. clenched his jaw. “Excuse me? What I did is none of your business, Driscoll.” 

Buffy stepped closer. “So it _ was _ a date. Got it. Look, I get that you might have ‘changed’ according to Cyrus, but I don’t like people lying to my friends,” she reminded. “Cyrus might be nice to everyone, but I’m not if they don’t deserve it. Especially when they're messing with his feelings."

“It wasn’t a date.”

“If you aren’t going to be honest at least be a decent liar, Kippen.”

T.J. let out a breath of disbelief. “Have I ever told you that you talk a lot but never say anything worthwhile? You always act like what you say makes sense but it doesn’t to anyone except you.” 

Slipping his shoes on, T.J. did his best to ignore her until she huffed. 

“Typical Toxic T.J. running away again.”

He wasn’t sure what it was about it, but the tone made what little restraints on his temper he had snap. 

“Fine! I wasn’t going for a walk, I was with my dad to see whether I’d be able to go back home since he kicked me out a few months ago. Happy?” 

Buffy dropped her arms so they were at her sides, obviously not having expected that. “Your dad? But why woul—” 

“No, you’re listening to me now,” T.J. insisted, voice strained. “You wanted me to tell the truth, so while I’m at it, why not learn why I sucked at math so bad back when we were in middle school? Or why I hung out with people with Reed and Lester until they got kicked out of school? Or maybe you’d want to know that I'm the one that reported them in the first place?” 

The fellow athlete stayed quiet throughout his whole rant, the first time T.J. had managed to render her speechless. He did his best to just breathe, unable to continue as any energy he had was zapped out of him, crashing into the ground they were standing on. 

“T.J…”

“Save it, Driscoll,” T.J. said coldly. “I might be Cyrus’s friend, but there’s no reason for us to speak other than to make sure he’s alright. So leave me alone.”

Snatching his coat from the rack, he was out the door into the rain without even bothering to take the umbrella or put his hood on. He was too heated and the rain felt nice against his skin. He had learned in school that the rain wasn’t what made people sick, but rather the germs in the air during the time it rained.

It didn’t feel as nice when he got home and his Uncle ushered him into the hottest shower of his life. The entire time, he was scolding him for not buying an umbrella or telling him he needed one, but the gesture was enough to at least make T.J. feel somewhat safe in his own home.

T.J. dropped into his bed, calling out of work—which ended up not even opening due to bad weather anyway—and putting off his studying to Sunday. He felt partly guilty for yelling but also regret and embarrassment for losing it on Driscoll. His mind echoed her words, wondering if he was as toxic as she swore he was. 

A bit of nausea kicked in, T.J shoving his face into his pillow and willing himself to sleep. 

For once, his body seemed to listen almost immediately. 

* * *

Monday and Tuesday came and went.

Then Wednesday and Thursday followed suit, the entire week feeling as if it’d flown by considering how T.J. avoided everyone. 

Including Cyrus. 

When Cyrus had avoided him after their first misunderstanding, he’d thought Cyrus was a master of the ninja arts with how well he hid. But now, doing it himself, he realized how simple it was to get lost in a high school crowd.

“Haven’t seen Goodman around lately. Everything good between you two?” Andrew asked curiously, shooting as the ball went in with a satisfying swish. T.J. grabbed the rebound and tossed it back to Andrew who shot again. 

“Yeah, just been busy,” T.J answered shortly.

“Really now?” Andrew asked, shooting again. “Because he came up to me today in the cafeteria asking for little ol’ you. That kid hasn’t been in there since the beginning of the year when he spilled—”

“Mystery meat all over Whitney. Yeah, I heard,” T.J. admitted, only then registering the first part of that sentence. Perking, his eyes went a bit wide. He tossed Andrew back the ball and attempted to be casual. “And?”

Andrew paused, placing the ball against his hip and wiping his face with his shirt. “_ And _, he was worried. Said he hadn’t seen you in days. Asked me to tell you to text him?” 

Rolling his neck, T.J. nodded. “Will do.”

“Today?” 

“Cap…” T.J. started, as Andrew tossed the ball behind him and walked over to wrap an arm around his shoulders. It was a firm grip as if aware T.J. was the type to walk away during conversations like this. 

“Right now? Yeah, I like the way you think, rookie. Now, how about apologizing to your boyfriend for worrying him and trying to resolve whatever misunderstanding happened, hm?”

“He’s not—”

“_ Future _ boyfriend. Better?” Andrew cut off, looking serious for once. “Look, I know you haven’t told him yet. And I know that you’re scared, for whatever reason, but it’s obvious that kid sees nothing but you. Heart eyes so extreme I haven’t seen a pair since Ty.”

That was news, considering that T.J. had always seen Cyrus surrounded by people. No one memorable like Driscoll or Jonah, but he was far from unpopular. 

“So just let him know you’re alright. Tell him you’ve been busy, whatever excuse you want. Just don’t push yourself away and then wonder why he’s too far to see, alright?”

T.J. swallowed hard. He knew that Andrew was right, but the thought of getting into a relationship when everything was so messy… 

“How did you know it was the right time? To date Ty, I mean…”

Andrew blinked, bursting into laughter. “Oh man, you watch too many movies! I didn’t take you as the type to believe that ‘right time, right place’ stuff!”

He let out a deep breath and wiped his eyes while T.J. debated whether breaking free of the elder’s grip was still a hopeless endeavor. 

“Listen T.J. If you like someone, you make the time, and you meet at the place. Sure, there are exceptions to that just like everything else, but other than that you can’t just sit around and expect results. You like Cyrus. Cyrus likes you. You can’t wait around for the world and stars to align. There will always be something that pops up.”

T.J. tried to offer a rebuttal, but his mind went back in time to both the time he'd spent with Cyrus and the year before he had even met him. He tried to think of whether there had ever been a perfect time for anything and found that he nothing came to mind. It clicked that if there wasn’t a time in the past to admit his feelings, the likelihood of having one in the future wasn’t great. He wasn’t sure about his relationship with his dad, or if his learning disability would become easier to handle. 

But he was positive he liked Cyrus to the point that he wondered why he was standing here with Andrew and not meeting up with Cyrus to walk home. 

“I gotta go,” T.J. said quickly. 

He could feel Andrew’s eyes on him as he grabbed his stuff and ran out of the gym, nothing heard but the squeaking of sneakers against the floor. 

* * *

“I’m sorry.”

T.J. wondered why whenever he and Cyrus met up to apologize, they both ended up doing it at the same time. A weird sense of deja vu washed over him, Cyrus breaking into a smile while T.J. followed suit. While they weren’t at the park, T.J. was glad to have caught Cyrus before he left his club or else he had a feeling he might have lost all nerve to face him. 

“Why are you sorry…?” T.J. asked softly, Cyrus biting his lower lip. 

“Buffy told me about your argument. She didn’t tell me what you guys talked about but wanted to apologize. Formally. Said she shouldn’t have assumed.”

T.J. raised a brow. “So you’re sorry on behalf of Buffy who is also sorry?” 

“No…I’m sorry for pushing you and Buffy into talking. You said you weren't ready but still came over and dealt with her revenge without complaining once.You didn’t deserve that.”

“But you were happy, right? Cause we were both there?” 

Cyrus shoved his shoulder, T.J. letting out a snort of laughter and rubbing the area. “Ow, Underdog. What was that for?” 

“I _ was _ happy you were both there, but I’m never happy when one of my friends is uncomfortable or being forced into acting a certain way. You’re allowed to defend yourself when things aren’t right, T.J.”

T.J. stood there in silence while Cyrus crossed his arms, obviously cold due to them being in the brunt of their oddly cold winter. 

“As you can tell, I don’t really know how these friend things work,” T.J admitted with a frown. “I’m never really sure whether to let things go or defend myself or to back off and let things calm down or fight them. I’m bad at being comforting and I use sarcasm as a way to cope with things…”

Cyrus looked surprised to be hearing all of this, but T.J. knew if there was anyone he could tell, it was Cyrus. 

“So I guess after talking with Buffy, I wondered why you ever wanted to stay friends. I’m pretty bad at it.”

“No,” Cyrus said, sounding a bit croaky, T.J wondering if he was still a bit under the weather. “I think that you’re a pretty great person to have around, and not even you can convince me otherwise. So do me a favor and stop trying to.”

“No promises,” T.J. said. “But maybe we should get a move on. You look like you’re starting to freeze.”

“What? No~” Cyrus insisted, but the clattering of his teeth showed was a dead give away he was lying. T.J. unfolded the coat he hadn’t pulled on yet, wrapping it around Cyrus and nearly grinning at how large it was on him. 

“Better?” 

T.J’s heart did a flip at how Cyrus curled into it willing. 

“Yup! Perfect. So, let's go?" Cyrus asked, tugging at T.J's sweater sleeve. T.J. followed with a nod, tilting his head while admiring how quickly Cyrus could move on. He never held grudges like he and Driscoll seemed to. 

"Your hands are freezing, Underdog."

"Oh, sorry, I could—"

"There are gloves in the pockets if you need them." 

Cyrus paused. "Oh. Thanks," he said while breaking into a bright smile. 

"No problem," T.J. promised. 

Definitely perfect. 

* * *

“Hey.”

T.J. looked over from his desk to see Amber standing at his bedroom door. He sat up, watching as she shifted from one foot to the other. 

“Mind if I come in? I brought snacks?” she offered, holding up a bag from The Spoon. “Thought you might want an after-dinner treat.”

Leaning back in his chair, T.J. shrugged, waving her into the room. “Guess I could use a break to talk to my annoying cousin,” he said with a smile, Amber’s eyes lighting up as she stepped inside. 

“You mispronounced _ favorite _. And you claim math is your worst subject.”

They both laughed quietly while Amber set up camp on his bed, handing over the bag. He knew the moment he saw all his favorite desserts that she had definitely been planning this, whether it was a pick me up due to the incident with his dad or not, he wasn’t sure. Either way, he grabbed one of the muffins and took a bite. 

Even if he had been mad at the time—which he hadn’t been, he didn't think—it wasn't like it was her fault.

“How are you?” 

T.J. nodded, waiting until he was done with the current sweet in his mouth. Once he swallowed, he took a sip of water. “Better. Still a bit confused but aren’t we all,” he muttered, Amber nodding in agreement. “What about you? How’s Bambi?”

Amber tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She grabbed a pillow from his bed and hugged it to her chest. “She still thinks I’m playing around. But at least I have her number now. We’ve been texting, but mainly about SAVA stuff,” she admitted, resting her chin against the very top of it.

“It’s a start?” 

“I’m worried it’s also a finish,” Amber said with a pout. “But I’m just happy being around her so even if she doesn’t date me, it’s nice to have gotten closer.”

“I might not know who this Bambi is, but she’d be crazy not to like you.”

“She’d be crazy _ to _ like me, after all I did,” Amber whined as T.J’s brows turned downwards. 

“All you did? What, did you know her before SAVA and make a bad impression?” T.J joked, but when Amber sent him the puppy dog pout with watery eyes, he knew nearly dropped the muffin in his hand.

“Wait, really? Amber how the he—”

“I didn’t know I liked her back then!” She defended before shoving her entire face into the pillow and letting out a pained moan of embarrassment. “It’s why I spent all of my sophomore year trying to take art electives to get late admission to SAVA. I just wanted to apologize then be friends but then I got in and she was so kind even though _ I _was so awful and her laugh was cute…”

T.J. listened to her and got flashbacks to the way he’d described how he and Cyrus had met, feeling that the similarities between them really had to be blood deep. It was then that he understood why Amber had called it a love story, probably catching on to his real feelings about Cyrus way before he even realized they were more than just friendly ones. 

“You really like her,” T.J. spoke once Amber took a breath.

“Yeah,” Amber said while exhaling deeply. “Way too much for someone who was a bully back in the day.”’

“Hey, bullies can change,” T.J. insisted. “And the fact that you went through all of this to apologize shows that you definitely have. You got into SAVA _ and _ you got a great girlfriend out of it.”

“She’s not my—”

“_ Future _girlfriend. Better?"

Amber shot him a look of disbelief, pointing a finger at him and leaning forward. “Who taught you to talk like this? Drop a name I just wanna have a chat with them.”

Laughing at how red she’d gotten and how confused she seemed, T.J. shoved some more of his muffin into his mouth and did his best not to choke.

“Someone gave me the same exact advice last week and I figured that you might benefit from it too. But they told me that you create the time and place and that there isn’t really a perfect moment ever. In your case, I feel like you’ll create that time without even knowing you did.”

“You think?”

T.J. nodded honestly, holding out the other half of the muffin as Amber took it and munched on it. She was still pouting, but she at least seemed to be thinking about what he’d said. 

He made a reminder to thank Andrew for helping him out as well as Amber, indirectly. 

“Thanks for calming me down. I’m also really sorry about being pushy. With the whole Cyrus thing.”

Waving a hand, T.J. smiled and waited until she took a big bite of the sweet.

“By the way, I’m gonna tell Cyrus how I feel this Friday. Wish me luck.”

Amber choked.


	4. I Love You Most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus meant a lot to T.J.  
Always had, always will.

T.J. had texted Buffy despite the way their last conversation had gone. He knew this was a time to take action rather than lay back and wait.

_ (7:24) Meet at the gym on Friday after school. Bring anyone considered a best friend to Cyrus. _

Friday had come a lot faster than he’d assumed it would. When he’d woken to Amber’s ‘purposely’ off-tune singing, his stomach decided to knot itself up and he had to sit in bed for a bit to breathe. Eventually, he did get up, but when he ran into Amber at breakfast, she wished him the luck he’d asked for originally but wasn’t shy about the teasing. 

“Luck for what?” his uncle mumbled in his half-asleep state.

“T.J’s gonna get a _ boyfriend~ _” Amber teased as T.J. grunted and threw a piece of his cereal at her before adding the milk. 

“Oh, nice,” his uncle said, smirking and looking at Amber. “When are you gonna get a move on with Bambi?”

The sound of a glass tipping over and Amber cursing was all T.J. heard before his cousin whined about her lost orange juice. 

The hardest part was not giving Cyrus any tells about how nervous he was throughout the day. He’d been tempted at first to avoid him for the sake of keeping his plans a secret, but after the last time, he knew it was too soon to even consider. He didn’t need Cyrus thinking he hated him when it was the complete opposite. 

Thankfully, Cyrus seemed too far gone about some oral presentation he had, T.J. needing to calm _ him _ down at one point. 

When the time came for the meeting, T.J’s stomach decided again to twist. This time it was ignored in favor of instead reminding himself what this entire thing was for. 

Or who it was for, rather. 

He was surprised to see Buffy and Jonah already there when he arrived. There was a girl he didn’t exactly recognize, but by process of elimination, she had to be Andi. He expected them to be late but guessed that he should be glad they weren’t.

“This gonna be quick?” Buffy questioned. “We all have things we need to work on.”

Rolling his neck, he raised a hand to his neck and eyed the three people staring at him with different expressions. “I’m here to talk.”

“About?” the girl with short hair demanded, crossing her arms in a way that seemed familiar due to how well Cyrus had mimicked it during reenactments. Now he definitely knew it was Andi. He couldn’t help but smile a bit, earning wary looks from both girls.

Jonah was the only one who appeared relatively relaxed, whether because they’d actually settled their differences in middle school or because he wasn’t sure what was ahead, T.J. didn’t know. 

“I’m here to talk about Cyrus.”

“Oh?” Buffy said but didn’t go on to say much else. He guessed it was because of where assuming had gotten her last time, and for some reason the thought of other people learning from their mistakes made him feel less awkward fixing his own.

“Yeah, and the reason I am telling you three is because you’re all very important to him. I care about him. A lot. More than a friend a lot,” he rambled, using his hands to try and explain until Buffy cut him off, voice a lot softer than he’d ever heard. 

“You like…Cyrus.”

It wasn’t a question, but T.J. nodded in response anyway. 

The silence in the gymnasium was deafening. T.J. couldn’t recall a time he sweat more than he currently was.

“_ Our _ Cyrus…you like him. As more than a friend,” Andi said, this time sounding amazed at the concept. “And you’re telling us…why?”

He shrugged. “I dunno You all mean a lot to him. He thinks highly of you and it would be weird if he was walking on eggshells because none of us were on the same page. Even if we stay just friends, I don’t want him to have the weight of issues that don't involve him on his mind.”

Buffy put her hands on her hips and blinking. “So you came here to ask for our _ blessing _?” 

“Something like that. Yeah,” T.J. admitted, wondering if she’d expected something more passive-aggressive or rude. “Cyrus is amazing, as you all probably already know and he’s helped me a lot with figuring things out and issues that aren’t really important right now.” Clearing his throat, he faced Buffy specifically. “Which means even if we aren’t friends and never will be, I still owe an apology to you. For how I treated you in middle school.”

“You’re apologizing?” Buffy asked as if she was wondering what universe she’d entered.“Who are you and where’s the T.J that said I shouldn’t be on the basketball team? The rude one that was so happy I left?” 

“You didn’t deserve that,” T.J. said sincerely. “And I guess ‘Captain Kippen’ realized he wasn’t needed anymore and left me in his place,” he offered as a joke, smile falling flat at the memory. The scary thing was how natural it had all come back then: the anger and insults. “A lot has changed over the last couple of months…the biggest being Cyrus letting me become his friend.”

Buffy avoided his gaze, raising her brows and shrugging her shoulders. “I guess…I owe you an apology too. I’m big enough to admit that.”

“What? Why are you sorry?” Andi said while Buffy shook her head. 

“I assumed some pretty awful things about him when he was taking care of something pretty serious. He didn’t deserve that even if he _was_ a jerk back then.” 

Andi looked back and forth between the two basketball stars, turning to Jonah who smiled at her in a way that kind of looked like an ‘I told you so’ answer. She pressed her lips into a thin line, looking at T.J. with a scrunched expression. 

“So you like Cyrus as more than a friend, you’re sorry for treating Buffy like garbage and you want us to let you see him?” she questioned. “And for some reason you had Buffy bring us here so you could say this to all of us at once?”

T.J. nodded as Andi thought to herself for a moment. 

“Anything else?”

“You forgot that he’s gay,” Jonah added as everyone turned to look at him, his smile falling. “What? Are we not going to talk about that part?” 

“You _ can’t _just—” Andi whispered, seeming embarrassed by his lack of tact, but T.J. snorted and shook his head. 

“I mean…he’s got not wrong. I haven’t really told anyone except my cousin but…I’m gay,” he said slowly. “And I think I’ve known for a while but never told anyone for personal reasons.”

“Which makes a lot of sense. Not exactly the easiest thing to admit to people without knowing how they’d react,” Buffy agreed. “But even if you know what you like now, how do you know Cyrus even likes guys?”

T.J. deflated at the reminder.

Jonah frowned for the first time since they arrived and tilted his head. “Because he told us las—_oof_” the male groaned, Buffy having thrown her bag at his stomach, sending him toppling over. 

“Not our information to tell other people, Beck,” Buffy warned.

Wincing sympathetically, T.J. gave a silent thanks to Jonah for taking the brunt of her energy so he didn’t have to. When Buffy looked back at him, he made sure to keep his hands free to protect his own gut if needed.

“I still don’t like you."

T.J. shrugged. "Fair enough."

"But...I can admit that you have done a lot for Cyrus. Especially when we all seemed to forget that he needed us to reassure him that he was still our friend. So thanks.” 

T.J. shook his head. “If it makes you all feel better…he never lost faith in any of you, he was just worried about imposing. Which considering who Cyrus is, is pretty on-brand.”

“Sounds like our Cyrus,” Andi said affectionately. She stood up, having bent down to check on Jonah. “And I guess considering how much Cyrus talks about you and how you’ve changed, that much is clear.”

A blush rose to T.J.’s cheeks as he rubbed his arm. “So…he talks about me?” 

“Oh, constantly,” Andi said with a wave of her hand. “Right, Jonah?”

Jonah shot Buffy a look, said girl rolling her eyes and nodding as the okay to let him answer. He turned his attention back to T.J. and nodded. 

“He really likes you.”

“Jonah!” 

“You said I could!” Jonah pointed out as Buffy raised her fingers to pinch the bridge of her nose. 

“A simple ‘yes’ to the question would have been fine...don't you think?” 

They continued to bicker, T.J. amused but also worried for Jonah’s safety. He’d seen Driscoll’s anger first hand and knew she was moments away from another attack. 

“Anyway, while those two go at it,” Andi started, blocking out the argument easily. She still looked skeptical, but a lot less so after seeing Buffy talk to him civilly. “The choice is really up to Cyrus. As…_ valiant _ as this attempt was, it’s not us that decides Cyrus’s future. But considering how often he mentions you…you must make him really happy.” 

Surprised at the words, T.J. nodded and let out a slow exhale. “Thanks. But I also needed to apologize. To all of you. Mainly Dris—Buffy.”

“Well, that was a decent one. Buffy might require a more extravagant one, though. Cyrus would tell you the same.”

“I’ll get right on that,” T.J. said with the first relaxed smile during this meeting. “She’ll have her socks blown right off.”

“Leave me alone, Buffy!” Jonah warned. It was overshadowed by how he was running away from her, Buffy going on about his big mouth and how she was going to teach him the meaning of confidentiality the moment she got her hands on him. 

As Andi laughed and shook her head, Buffy pointed at her. 

“What are you laughing at, _ Bambi._”

Andi turned red in the face as T.J. straightened up. He looked over at Andi who was bickering with Buffy, noticing little things he hadn’t noticed before. 

For one, she had hair clips in her hair and T.J. could definitely see how her smile would be considered cute. She was definitely nice, having come in guns blazing and ending up having a normal conversation with him. 

He recalled Amber mentioning that she was cute and kind. Plus the nickname was way too coincidental.

He looked down, seeing the numerous bracelets on her wrists, obviously handmade. Amber had several that she refused to take off that were similar. 

“Huh,” T.J. whispered. “Hey, you go to SAVA, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Why, did Cyrus mention it?” Andi asked, still red and attempting to save face. 

“Something like that,” T.J. said, deciding that now was best to take his leave. “I’m gonna head out, but make sure she doesn’t kill Jonah?” 

“She won’t, but I can’t say the same for me,” Andi mumbled, offering a wave and waiting for the other two to stop running around. T.J. shook his head with a chuckle. 

He was outside when he got the text, looking down and biting his lips. 

(3:55)_ Still on to meet later at the park? -Underdog _

T.J. typed away, pocketing his phone and heading back to his house to try and remember what he wanted to do. 

(3:56) _ Of course. See you there. _

* * *

With a clear head after his oral presentation, Cyrus was back to his observant self. 

“You’re more fidgety than usual today…is everything alright?” 

“I’m alright, just a bit tired,” T.J. explained, Cyrus raising a brow. His eyes went wide after a few seconds with his thoughts. 

“Buffy didn’t say something to you again, did she? She really isn’t that mean usually but—”

T.J. stopped his lazy swinging so he could place a hand on Cyrus’s shoulder. “Hey, breathe. No, she didn’t say anything else to me. Well, nothing but an apology. Don’t worry, I really am just a little tired.”

“You sure?”

“Positive,” T.J. promised. 

“Okay…well then. Hopefully you aren’t _ too _tired?” Cyrus offered, T. J’s curiosity piqued. 

“Oh?” T.J. asked with a teasing smile. “What does Underdog have in mind? Go on, don’t keep me waiting~” he said, dragging out his words as Cyrus rolled his eyes and shoved him away. 

“I _ was _ considering asking you to come with me to this new muffin place that opened up but because _ someone _ is being a teasing tom…” 

“Teasing Tom? Really?” T.J. said while attempting to keep his smile in check by biting the inside of his cheek. “That’s what you came up with?”

Cyrus shot him a look, looking up at the sky thoughtfully. “How about Teasing T.J. then?”

T.J. scrunched his nose. “How did you manage to make it worse somehow?”

“Teasing Teej?” Cyrus offered while T.J groaned. 

“Keep going and I’ll give you another underdog.”

Cyrus gave a gasp. “You wouldn’t do that to me and my poor little pinky, would you?”

“I don’t know,” T.J. answered while standing from his swing. “Would I?” 

They locked eyes for a second before Cyrus was off and running, T.J. on his tail. 

“You started it!” Cyrus laughed, dodging him and running towards the slide. 

“Yeah well let me end it for both our sanities!” T.J. insisted, easily catching up to Cyrus when the other got winded and wrapping both his arms around him so he couldn’t escape. He lifted him up and earned another squeal, only to place him back down once he was sure his grip was firm. He grinned at how Cyrus still tried to squirm, only to give up and look over his shoulder at T. J’s cocky expression. This is when T.J. remembered what he was meeting up with Cyrus for, color draining from his face from nerves.

“This is just abrasive at this point,” Cyrus complained, T.J. shaking his head and scanning the other’s face. 

“No, this is what happens when you make bad jokes.”

Cyrus huffed. “But _ all _ my jokes are bad!” he reminded, T.J. keeping his laughter inside as he placed his chin on the other’s shoulder and looked forward. 

“Then I guess I’ll have to hold onto you forever, huh?” 

T.J waited for any reaction to the words: disgust, confusion, anger. When he got none of that, he loosened his grip, only for Cyrus to use his hands to guide T. J’s back to where they’d originally been. 

“Cyrus?” 

Cyrus didn’t answer right away, looking down and playing with T. J’s fingers with his own gloved ones. 

So that's where his gloves had gone.

“If I’d known making bad jokes caused you to do this, I would have made them sooner.”

T.J.’s eyes went a bit wide, Cyrus’s lips splitting from a shy smile to a large one. The two stood like that for a while, T.J. hoping that Cyrus couldn’t feel heartbeats through the number of layers he wore. 

“This…this really alright?” T.J. tested, Cyrus shrugging and moving his hands on top of T. J’s own. He squeezed as if also testing the water.

“Is…this alright with you?” 

With a shaky exhale, T.J. continued to look at the person in his arms and nodded. “Yeah.”

Cyrus leaned back into him at the reply, shutting his eyes and letting out a breath of his own. T.J. swallowed hard and tightened his grip around Cyrus experimentally, eyes set on his brown hair. Despite not having said it, it was almost like Cyrus had known what he was really asking.

“Anything else you want to tell me?” Cyrus whispered, almost to the point that T.J. missed it. T. J shut his eyes, letting out a nervous laugh and nodding slowly. 

“Yeah. Anything else _ you _ wanna tell _ me _?”

Cyrus moved away from T.J. so he was actually facing him, keeping T. J’s hands in his own. With a tilt of his head, he nodded.

“Yes.”

T.J. hadn’t even realized how tense he’d become until Cyrus took his hand, lacing their fingers together. His heart was going crazy—a feeling he’d only get after arguing with his dad or winning a game. 

He preferred this reason by a long shot. 

It was even better when Cyrus took their hands and placed it in his own pocket, saying something about how it was just because he could feel how icy T. J’s hands were and he didn’t need him getting sick. T.J. pretended that he didn’t see the small looks Cyrus kept giving him as they walked towards the muffin place. He pretended that he wasn’t nervous until Cyrus squeezed his hand and reminded him it was alright to feel that way. 

“My heart is going crazy.”

T.J. eyed Cyrus for a reaction after he said it. What he got in response was a laugh followed by a vigorous nod. 

“Mine too!” Cyrus whispered excitedly. He calmed, biting his lower lip and repeating himself, this time much softer. 

“Mine too.”


End file.
